In April 2025, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) and Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) led the Indian delegation at the 2025 BIMSTEC(Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Agriculture Ministerial Meeting (BAMM) held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- The meeting was attended by agriculture ministers and senior officials of BIMSTEC member countries namely India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
- This marks the 3rd BAMM, the highest decision-making body shaping regional agricultural cooperation, following previous meetings held in Myanmar (2019) and India (2022).
Key Points:
i.While addressing the meeting, Union Agriculture Minister reiterated India’s commitment to regional agricultural cooperation and underscored the alignment of BIMSTEC with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies.
ii.He informed that India has taken the initiative under BIMSTEC Agriculture Cooperation (2023-2027) by conducting trainings and workshops in the field of seed development, animal health, and pest management.
- Apart from this, India also provides fully funded BIMSTEC Scholarships for students from BIMSTEC member countries to pursue Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in India.
iii.India has proposed to set up a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Agriculture Cooperation in India.
- The key focus areas for the proposed CoE are: accurate farming, natural and organic agriculture, climate risk mitigation, gender equality, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture.
- It will also provide a platform for sharing knowledge and skills on emerging technologies like drones, digital technologies to ensure food security, nutrition and livelihood security in the region.
India & Nepal Signed MoU to Enhance Cooperation in Agriculture Sector
On the sidelines of 3rd BAMM, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, MoA&FW (India) and Ramnath Adhikari, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development (Nepal) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture, which will further strengthen the bilateral relations of two countries.
- This newly signed MoU replaces the MoU signed between India and Nepal on December 06, 1991.
- The MoU aims to improve crop productivity, post-harvest management, agricultural research and capacity building, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.
Key Points:
i.The key areas of cooperation outlined in the MoU: agriculture science and technology, agricultural production, crop production, horticulture, integrated farming systems, among others.
ii.Both countries discussed convening Joint Agriculture Working Group (JAWG) meetings under the new MoU, and cooperation between New Delhi (Delhi)-based Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Kathmandu (Nepal)-based Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC).
iii.Both Ministers reviewed key initiatives between India and Nepal in the field of agriculture like: reviewed progress of the Agricultural projects under India’s High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) programme in Nepal and proposal of India to set up an Agro-Industrial Park in Chitwan, Nepal.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister- Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Constituency- Madhya Pradesh, MP)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ram Nath Thakur (Rajya Sabha- Bihar); Bhagirath Choudhary (Constituency- Ajmer, Rajasthan)
